Nagarhole National Park

Visited from Kabini, on the reservoir between Nagarhole and Bandipur India's answer to the Gathering happens here in summer. As the Kabini reservoir's water recedes, its exposed bed and islands turn into grassland, and elephants from Nagarhole, Bandipur, Wayanad and beyond come down to graze the fresh grass, with a few hundred visible along the backwaters on a good day. The Karnataka Forest Department runs both jeep and boat safaris, and the 90-minute boat trip lets you watch herds mud-bathing on the shore without a vehicle in sight. Check ahead in the hottest weeks: the boat can be suspended when the water drops too low.